Speculative actions based on user dwell time over selectable content

Abstract

Methods, systems, and techniques for reducing web page load time are provided. An exemplary method for reducing web page load time includes detecting, in a browser, a cursor in a region of a web page. The region surrounds a selectable item associated with a URL. The exemplary method includes determining whether the cursor is present in the region for a threshold period of time. The exemplary method further includes performing a speculative action when it is determined that the cursor has been present in the region for the threshold period of time, without modifying underlying code of a web page associated with the URL.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for reducing web page load time, the method comprising:
 receiving, using one or more computing devices, cursor information regarding an amount of time a cursor is hovering within a region of a web page, the region being associated with a selectable item on the web page; 
 identifying, using the one or more computing devices, an adjustable threshold time based on speculative information regarding a browser history associated with a user, the adjustable threshold time indicating a given period of time for the user to select the selectable item; 
 determining, using the one or more computing devices, whether the cursor is hovering within the region of the web page for the adjustable threshold time based on the cursor information; and 
 when the cursor is determined to be hovering within the region of the web page for the adjustable threshold time, generating, using the one or more computing devices, instructions to perform a first speculative action on a URL associated with the selectable item without modifying underlying code of the web page associated with the URL; 
 wherein adjusting the adjustable threshold time is determined dynamically based on the speculative information. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selecting the first speculative action from a set of speculative actions comprising at least one of: performing a DNS preresolution of the URL, initiating a first preconnection to the URL, and prefetching a first content of the URL. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the URL comprises a URL hostname and the instructions to perform the first speculative action include instructions for performing the DNS preresolution of the URL hostname. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the URL comprises a URL hostname and the instructions to perform the first speculative action include instructions for initiating the first preconnection to the URL hostname. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions for initiating the first preconnection to the URL hostname comprises instructions for establishing a secure connection to the URL hostname. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the speculative information includes information regarding a hover-over-click history associated with the user. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 determining from the hover-over-click history whether the user has previously selected the selectable item; and 
 adjusting the adjustable threshold time based on the determination by increasing the given period of time for the user to select the selectable item. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 determining whether the cursor is hovering within the region of the web page for the adjusted adjustable threshold time; 
 when the cursor is determined to be hovering within the region of the web page for the adjusted adjustable threshold time, selecting a second speculative action from the set of speculative actions, the second speculative action is different than the first speculative action, and 
 generating instructions to perform the second speculative action on the URL associated with the selectable item without modifying underlying code of the web page associated with the URL. 
 
     
     
       9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium on which computer readable instructions of a program are stored, the instructions, when executed by one or more computing devices, cause the one or more computing devices to perform a method comprising:
 receiving, using the one or more computing devices, cursor information regarding an amount of time a cursor is hovering within a region of a web page, the region being associated with a selectable item on the web page; 
 identifying, using the one or more computing devices, an adjustable threshold time based on speculative information regarding a browser history associated with a user, the adjustable threshold time indicating a given period of time for the user to select the selectable item; 
 determining, using the one or more computing devices, whether the cursor is hovering within the region of the web page for the adjustable threshold time based on the cursor information; and 
 when the cursor is determined to be hovering within the region of the web page for the adjustable threshold time, generating, using the one or more computing devices, instructions to perform a first speculative action on a URL associated with the selectable item without modifying underlying code of the web page associated with the URL; 
 wherein adjusting the adjustable threshold time is determined dynamically based on the speculative information. 
 
     
     
       10. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises selecting the first speculative action from a set of speculative actions comprising at least one of: performing a DNS preresolution of the URL, initiating a first preconnection to the URL, and prefetching a first content of the URL. 
     
     
       11. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the URL comprises a URL hostname and the instructions to perform the first speculative action include instructions for performing the DNS preresolution of the URL hostname. 
     
     
       12. The computer-readable storage medium of  claim 10 , wherein the URL comprises a URL hostname and the instructions to perform the first speculative action include instructions for initiating the first preconnection to the URL hostname. 
     
     
       13. A processing system, comprising:
 a memory for storing a browser history, and 
 one or more processors coupled to the memory, the one or more processors being configured to:
 receive cursor information regarding an amount of time a cursor is hovering within a region of a web page, the region being associated with a selectable item on the web page; 
 identify an adjustable threshold time based on speculative information regarding the browser history associated with a user, the adjustable threshold time indicating a given period of time for the user to select the selectable item; 
 determine whether the cursor is hovering within the region of the web page for the adjustable threshold time based on the cursor information; and 
 when the cursor is determined to be hovering within the region of the web page for the adjustable threshold time, generate instructions to perform a first speculative action on a URL associated with the selectable item without modifying underlying code of the web page associated with the URL; 
 wherein adjustment of the adjustable threshold time is determined dynamically based on the speculative information. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to select the first speculative action from a set of speculative actions comprising at least one of: performing a DNS preresolution of the URL, initiating a first preconnection to the URL, and prefetching a first content of the URL. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the URL comprises a URL hostname and the instructions to perform the first speculative action include instructions for performing the DNS preresolution of the URL hostname. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 14 , wherein the URL comprises a URL hostname and the instructions to perform the first speculative action include instructions for initiating the first preconnection to the URL hostname. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions for initiating the first preconnection to the URL hostname comprises instructions for establishing a secure connection to the URL hostname. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 17 , wherein the speculative information includes information regarding a hover-over-click history associated with the user. 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine from the hover-over-click history whether the user has previously selected the selectable item; and 
 adjust the adjustable threshold time based on the determination by increasing the given period of time for the user to select the selectable item. 
 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to:
 determine whether the cursor is hovering within the region of the web page for the adjusted adjustable threshold time; 
 when the cursor is determined to be hovering within the region of the web page for the adjusted adjustable threshold time, select a second speculative action from the set of speculative actions, the second speculative action is different than the first speculative action, and 
 generate instructions to perform the second speculative action on the URL associated with the selectable item without modifying underlying code of the web page associated with the URL.